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A four-stroke cycle for internal-combustion engines consisting of the following operations: First stroke, suction into cylinder of explosive charge, as of gas and air; second stroke, compression, ignition, and explosion of this charge; third stroke (the working stroke), expansion of the gases; fourth stroke, expulsion…

re will force its outward way. Dryden. -- Out"ward*ly, adv. -- Out"ward*ness, n. Outward stroke. (Steam Engine) See under Stroke.

To use the hands or fingers in toying; to make caressing strokes. [Obs.] Shak.

mething else in character, motive, aim, or the like. His life is paralleled Even with the stroke and line of his great justice. Shak.

To strike gently with the fingers or hand; to stroke lightly; to tap; as, to pat a dog. Gay pats my shoulder, and you vanish quite. Pope.

To pass the paw over; to stroke or handle with the paws; hence, to handle fondly or rudely.

To make strokes with the beak, or with a pointed instrument. Carew.

A blow or stroke from something thrown.

o ply one with questions, with solicitations, or with drink. And plies him with redoubled strokes Dryden. He plies the duke at morning and at night. Shak.

admission, as of steam, to the engine cylinder before the back stroke is completed, thus increasing the cushioning.

A kind of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the side. The pull is not a legitimate stroke, but bad cricket. R. A. Proctor.

A stroke or impulse by which some medium is affected, as in the propagation of sounds.

eardrum and the other membranous parts vibrate according to the nature and species of the stroke. Burke. Pulse glass, an instrument consisting to a glass tube with terminal bulbs, and containing ether or alcohol, which the heat of the hand causes to boil; -- so called from the pulsating motion of the liquid when thus w…

; a punctual payment. "The race of the undeviating and punctual sun." Cowper. These sharp strokes [of a pendulum], with their inexorably steady intersections, so agree with our successive thoughts that they seem like the punctual stops counting off our very souls into the past. J. Martineau.

A point or hit. Punto diritto Etym: [It.], a direct stroke or hit. -- Punto reverso Etym: [It. riverso reverse], a backhanded stroke. Halliwell. "Ah, the immortal passado! the punto reverso!" Shak.

A stroke made on the putting green to play the ball into a hole.

; antique; archaic; singular; unusual; as, quaint architecture; a quaint expression. Some stroke of quaint yet simple pleasantry. Macaulay. An old, long-faced, long-bodied servant in quaint livery. W. Irving.

A coarse file, on which the cutting prominences are distinct points raised by the oblique stroke of a sharp punch, instead of lines raised by a chisel, as on the true file.

In rowing, the act of regaining the proper position for making a new stroke. Common recovery (Law), a species of common assurance or mode of conveying lands by matter of record, through the forms of an action at law, formerly in frequent use, but now abolished or obsolete, both in England and America. Burrill. Warren.…

ontinued or repeated additions; to augment greatly; to multiply. So they Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe. Shak. n. An optional bid made by the side currently holding the highest bid for the contract, after the opposing side has doubled. This bid increases the score for successfully making the contract, and increa…